TalkBaja.com » Baja Mexico Forums » Moving to Baja Full/Part Time

It is bitch time in my little village. Our monthly water bills arrived. Mine is 46 pesos including a charge for being hooked up to our new sewer system. Right now that's a sore spot with some because one of the pumps went out and the main line has to be pumped up by truck and causes some smelly fumes when they pump it out. About the 15th of next month the bitching will start again when we get our electric bill for two months of service. A lot of my gringo neighbors love to complain about Mexico and infrastructure. One might think they knew nothing about that before they came down to build or buy a house in Baja California. How can that be with so many already here to scream their displeasure about services and costs? How could they not have known? Why is it such an unpleasant surprise? Do small towns and rural settings all over the globe not have their share of problems with garbage, sewer, water, electrical?

Brand new problem today. The water bill has a new charge, never before seen or charged. Red Cross and Bomberos. The gringo group is aghast. How and why did they slip that in on us? Why should we pay that? My wife just handed me our bill so I can stretch my legs, walk up to pay at Omsapas. Now I see the new charge = one peso for Red Cross and Fireman. Seven cents a month. Wow. What next?

All you gringos up there in the good old U.S. of A. who are headed this way to retire or buy vacation homes, "Don't expect first class city services and don't expect the bad services to be free. Fair warning. Again. Come on down, enjoy the lifestyle but leave the bitching waaaaay the hell up north. Puleeeze.

You and I agree on this one Osprey. The funny thing is that it is still usually less than what they would be paying north of the border. Folks who haven't been paying for utilities and services back home for years may be surprised on much they have crept up in cost.

And of course there are some who just like to complain. I think that is probably because they have too much time on their hands - need to get off their butts and find/develop a hobby or two. Also one of the reasons I posted this awhile back...

Can a Gringo Survive Living in Mexico?

One of the many reason we opted for both solar hot water and elec. systems, the infrastructure can barely support all that are here now and I would imagine it will only get worse. At least we feel we are doing our part not to be a burden on our host country in this way.

Originally Posted by BajaGringo

- need to get off their butts and find/develop a hobby or two.

Barb just started hobby # 3, slumping glass bottles. Whatever that is

I think I just watch and do my "slumping" in an easy chair while sucking on a Pacifico.

Originally Posted by edinnopolo

I think I just watch and do my "slumping" in an easy chair while sucking on a Pacifico.

Some might call that a hobby...

Totally agree Osprey! Somebody needs to make that sign at the border bigger....or maybe convert it to NEON...."Please leave gringo standards & expectations here!"

And maybe there could be a class to teach that there is actually a direct correlation between electrical usage & the electric bill!:

Moving down here is definitely not for sissies or the faint at heart! It takes a pioneer spirit, the ability to roll with the punches & creativity to adapt to our adopted country!

Ed, please ask Barb to s'plain "slumping bottles" for those of us more curious than you about what's going to happen to all your Pacifico bottles!

Nice to see you here, Osprey.

I'm fortunate to hang out with folks who don't complain about their utility bills. At least not much. In summer, one neighbor occasionally grumbles that her deadbeat son sleeps with the AC on while she's at work instead of looking for a job, but I've never heard her blame the municipio for it.

Even in the teeming metropolis of La Paz, services are very reasonable. We pay about double what you do for water and sewer (horrors, a whopping 94 pesos for up to 18 cubic meters). Nobody bitches about it. I mean, after all, sometimes they turn the water on as many as three nights a week, even in summer. When the electric bills come, my neighbors ask each other (and me) how we did during that period. No dirty little secrets around here, since the bills occasionally get stuffed into the wrong gates anyhow. We all know it depends on how many gadgets we have and how judiciously we use them. No mystery there.

Is it different up north? I haven't lived there since around when Jimmy Carter was on teevee in his cardigan, telling all of us to keep our thermostats at 68. Maybe expats just need something to whine about. But Red Cross and Bomberos sounds like a great idea to me.

Originally Posted by kate

Is it different up north? I haven't lived there since around when Jimmy Carter was on teevee in his cardigan, telling all of us to keep our thermostats at 68. Maybe expats just need something to whine about. But Red Cross and Bomberos sounds like a great idea to me.

It sure can be different. From the weather reports I'd guess there are going to be some nasty heating bills this year.

I think some on a fixed income get paranoid after awhile each time something cuts into their budget beyond what they expected. The good news is that it doesn't sound like it really was that much. I agree that they might be pleasantly surprised to see that they are probably paying much less than they would up north. My monthly water bill in California is now $60 to $70 each month.

New here
We just got a 2 month elec. bill here in Bc Canada
$400
I guess I shouldn't have plugged my truck in

Welcome Timo - $400 for electricity? Does that include your heating?

Sounds like noproblema has a good solution.
Somebody should start an enlightenment campaign for the hordes of disgruntled expats in your neighborhood!
Si se puede!
I am happy that in my VERY little settlement, granted we are there for very short periods of time at this point, that the most consistent statements are about how grateful we are to be in Mexico and the significant differences in our lives compared to NOB.
You know what they say about birds of a feather....

Welcome Timo - glad to see you onboard!

Soulpatch - my experience is that some people just like to complain. In fact I think for some, complaining is their only hobby in retirement. If you solve one of their complaints they will just find something else.

But I like the way you think...

Originally Posted by BajaGringo

Welcome Timo - glad to see you onboard!

Soulpatch - my experience is that some people just like to complain. In fact I think for some, complaining is their only hobby in retirement. If you solve one of their complaints they will just find something else.

But I like the way you think...

You must appreciate subtlety then......it's like art, I know it when I see it...and I know I've seen some somewhere.
If you see some somewhere could you point it out to me?

Originally Posted by soulpatch

You must appreciate subtlety then......it's like art, I know it when I see it...and I know I've seen some somewhere.
If you see some somewhere could you point it out to me?

Quality of life is 90% attitude and I think you have that pretty well nailed down. Subtlety was one of my favorite college classes...

no heat included
You will see posts from Barbareno...My better half
It won't be long before we make the move
Bahia Asuncion....LOOK OUT !!!!!
Thank you for the welcomes